JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Nick Kano — a.k.a. Nick Paulus — always envisioned bringing new life into his granddad’s historic music store, known as the Paulus Music Company.
The newly revitalized building at 41 E. Duval Street once welcomed local and touring musicians for more than 60 years as the go-to spot for instrument repairs and more.
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Today, thanks to some of Nick’s elbow grease, it’s transformed into a creative hub in downtown Jacksonville, home to five thriving businesses serving the community:
- The Paulus Music Company: Museum exhibition celebrating the city’s vibrant musical heritage
- The Petite: Seven highly curated mini art gallery installations
- Konbini Labo: Japanese-inspired convenience store
- Kollect Jax: Vintage clothing store
- Hush Hush Jax - immersive silent disco theatre
“The goal is to hopefully one day completely revitalize the Paulus Music Company to be able to cater to the Duval County Public Schools, the band programs specifically,” he said, reflecting on his future.
This week on “Voices of the 904,” Nick shares the multi-generational story behind his family’s business, reflects on working with PlacemakingJax to bring the re-activation to life, and explains how his efforts honor his granddad’s footsteps — and why being part of downtown’s resurgence means so much after watching its decline.
The building doesn’t have standard operating hours since it’s an event-activated space, but you can stop in during Art Walk on Wednesday, Dec. 3, to take a peek from 5 to 9 p.m.